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My 26th (!) SXSW is shaping up to be pretty different. This year I get to moderate a panel at the actual conference, so I’m badged up for the first time in many years. Back in the 1990s, I used to buy a badge to the music conference, but I gave that up years ago in favor of buying the occasional wristband, but mostly hanging out with my friends and going to day shows. The irony this year is that I have a badge, but can’t take vacation at my new job yet. Luckily, they’re gonna spring me for a couple of days, so I’ll be out and about, just not totally gorging myself.

Here’s a sketch of my week:

I have a lot of non-SXSW stuff going on this weekend, but I’ll pick up my badge downtown on Saturday afternoon, head to the EFF Cyberpunk party at the Vortex, then maybe try to catch the Hickoids at the Hard Luck Lounge. Sunday‘s my dad’s birthday party, but I may try to catch some of the Create action down at the Palmer Events Center. And there are some talks about space I wanna see!

Wednesday, I’m hoping to make it to the Sahara to see my husband play music for the first time in several years & I’ll probably end up at the Bloodshot Records showcase that night. I’m conferencing on Thursday & Friday. The panel I’m moderating,“I Remember That Band”: Preserving Local Music, is Friday at 12:30, so I’ll probably take it easy Thursday night. Once I’m done at the conference, I am, of course, heading straight for Bloodshot’s 22nd annual Yard Dog party. I’ve been to between 18 and 20 of these, and I can’t wait to see all the folks I see once a year (sometimes twice). If I live through that, I’ll try to see Buttercup, Big Foot Chester, PAWS, Neko Case, (more) Jon Langford &/or Diet Cig.

Yesterday, I went to Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic. While it certainly had it’s moments, it wasn’t the best musical experience of my life. I won’t bore you with the details. Instead, let’s put it behind us by listening to some of the bands and musicians I wish had been on yesterday’s bill. I’m not going to write a lot because these performances speak for themselves. Take a gander and I think you’ll be hard pressed to walk away without a new favorite.

Nb: This list is comprised, for the most part, of acts you can see in small clubs all over the country (and in some cases, the world) for under $20. A couple of the bands have transformed into new/related/spinoff groups but, the odds are good you can see most of these folks live in the next year or two if you keep an eye on those club listings.

Singalong!

It was unbelievably hot in that club,but this was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

A Welsh-Chicagoan singing about Hank Williams:

One Man Bands

Bonus

You can’t see this band anymore,but most of them are still playing music.

As mentioned previously, my side project, the Austin Fanzine Project has been taking up a lot of my spare time for the last year or so. It’s been super-fun and I’ve already learned a lot. You can learn about it too (and help!!) over at the AFP website. Stay tuned to the AFP Facebook page (&/or Twitter) to be informed about some local AFP events coming up this fall…

In the pre-&-proto-internet days, having a separate identity helped keep my personal and professional lives separate. The government knows me as Jennifer Rae Hecker, the name on my birth certificate, but back in the 1990s, when I was more involved in Austin’s punk/DIY/”alt-rock” scene, I decided it would be good punk rock form to take the pseudonym Jennifer LaSuprema, a name I used primarily in the publication of my fanzine. And that worked then. Now the internet (with it’s huge volume of searchable data, and it’s ever-changing gauntlet of privacy settings and relationship definititions) has made it easier to find links between my two names. Also, with the launch of the Austin Fanzine Project (a major reason for the lapse in my blogging here), I’ve essentially come out to my professional community as a participant in a culture that I previously was hesitant to be identified with in professional situations. Luckily, things are changing and my profession is becoming more and more inclusive. Where I used to see the value in keeping parts of my identity to myself, I now recognize that I have both a right and an obligation to represent all of the cultures I identify with.

I bought myself a super-cheap home-roasting rig “for Christmas” and I just tried it out for the first time tonight.

I read up on how to go about using a hot-air corn popper to roast the green beans I’d ordered from Sweet Maria’s, gathered all the necessary supplies, then proceeded to roast!

It went pretty well. It took longer than I had expected, but that’s probably just because the literature stresses vigilance, as the process can change rapidly from one moment to the next.

I never heard the “second crack” sound, which was to have been my signal to stop roasting (or at least think about stopping). Instead, I stopped around 14 minutes, 10 seconds, when I started worrying I’d burn the beans.

Howdy y’all! Long time no write, I know. Well, the wait is over & now you get to read about my weekend, you lucky bastard(s?):

Friday night I had a whirlwind affair with the rodeo. I wish I’d gotten to there sooner (I had to work all day), so I could have seen more stuff.

cowsploitation

We intended to see Loretta Lynn, but she cancelled & we got George Jones instead. I love me some George Jones, but unfortunately, the ol’ Possum isn’t doing so hot. His voice was hardly even workable. It was sad. I have total respect for a dude who’s still trying to do what he loves at 80, but dang! that was a crap show! I saw him at Billy Bob’s back about 15 years ago & he was havin’ to take breaks between songs then, so I wasn’t expecting too much this time around…

The Possum's voice lives up to his other nickname: No Show Jones.

The rodeo was quite enjoyable, though! There was some pretty over-the-top patriotism, religiosity & misogyny, but other than that I loved it! I hadn’t been to one since I was a kid, but I’m already plotting my return next year. Turns out, I really enjoy seein’ a man wrestle a beast. Who knew?

Also, the Mutton Bustin’ event (where little kids grab onto a sheep and hang on as long as they can) was as cute as I’d heard it’d be.

Mutton Bustin'

Oh, and there was totally a baby kangaroo at the petting zoo!

Lil' Roo

Then, Saturday morning, I headed right up the road (from my place & from the rodeo) to Green Gate Farms to take a tour.

Green Gate Farm

It was a real nice tour & I learned a couple of things. The highlights were the critters & the artisanal ice cream. Green Gate raises some lard hogs (I don’t remember what they are called, sorry) along with chickens, meat hogs, sheep, goats & a horse. The baby goats were super-cute & friendly…

goaty goats

…as were the baby lard hogs.

lard hogspiggy pets

After the tour, I bought some smoked ham, lard and lamb’s quarters from the farm stand, and tried the ice cream. I got the fresh mint with chocolate specks. It was delicious! Angel Young, the “ice cream & sorbet artisan”, was lovely to chat with, as well.

lamb's quarters (before)

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kedgeree (fish curry)

Yesterday, I made a yummy fish curry from this recipe and I fixed up those lamb’s quarters to go with. (I felt silly buying them at the farm stand, since they grow wild. I intend to forage some more soon. They have, something like 5x the nutrients of spinach.) I just wilted them in some oil I’d fried up some onions & garlic in. They were delicious!!